


A Sonic Christmas Carol

by infizero



Category: A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens, Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Party, Dreams and Nightmares, Ghosts, M/M, Nonbinary Mighty the Armadillo, Nonbinary Silver the Hedgehog, Retelling, but with sonic characters, silver is a lil ooc but eh, y'all know what's up it's a christmas carol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 08:48:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21966658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/infizero/pseuds/infizero
Summary: A retelling of the classic story, "A Christmas Carol" - but with a Sonic twist!
Relationships: Shadow the Hedgehog/Sonic the Hedgehog
Comments: 2
Kudos: 44





	A Sonic Christmas Carol

**Author's Note:**

> Finished this just in time for Christmas!
> 
> (Not beta'd, so I apologize for any grammatical errors!)

Once upon a time, in a town amongst the woods… as people sang with as much joy as they could… as the snow began to fall, as the lights began to glow… as the townsfolk began to string up leaves of mistletoe… there in his house, with a frown on his face…

Shadow the Hedgehog sat, dreading the coming day.

"Every Christmas it's the same!" he complained to no one but himself. "Everyone bustling about with their presents and their decor. 'Merry Christmas' this, 'Merry Christmas' that! It's all humbug if you ask me!"

It was still quite early, but the chorus of children singing in the square already rang out for all to hear. Even those who did not wish to hear it, like a certain black hedgehog.

You see, Shadow the Hedgehog hated Christmas. It's true! He was a real-life Grinch (though that came after Scrooge), not wanting anything to do with the holiday. He never put up a tree or gave anyone a gift. The only gift he gave was extra work the next day. He dreaded December, for he knew what it meant…

"If we all ignored Christmas it would be time well spent!" Shadow muttered as he shuffled on his coat.

With a swish of the door and a chill to his skin, the hedgehog stepped into the cold winter air amongst all the other townsfolk. Shadow looked around as he locked his door, before jolting in alarm at the sight of a familiar blue hedgehog. He attempted to get away, but due to his incredible speed the other was there in seconds. Shadow sighed in resignation and turned to him.

"Merry Christmas Mr. Shadow!" Sonic greeted, giving him a friendly wave.

Sonic was Shadow's assistant. The blue hedgehog was infuriating, but despite his running mouth and easily distracted nature, he did good work. That didn't mean Shadow paid him that much - in fact, Sonic's salary was practically non-existent, and always being deducted. Shadow berated him and made it clear he wasn't interested in whatever activities he tried to invite him to, but for some reason the blue hedgehog never quit.

Said blue hedgehog stood before his boss in a crimson trench coat and scarf, the winter air flushing his cheeks. He was the same age as Shadow, yet he appeared so much younger, mostly due to the smile he kept on his face at nearly all times. 

His emerald eyes sparkled in the dim light when he greeted the other, a glimmer of a good mood. As much as he annoyed him, Shadow had to agree that Sonic had a good heart, and livened up the room wherever he went. He also wasn't bad to look at, but Shadow wasn't the kind of person to ever admit such a thing.

"Do not say that foolish statement around me, hedgehog." Shadow hissed, the warning tone in his voice poignant.

Sonic blinked in confusion before chuckling half-heartedly. "Oh right. Sorry. You're still not doing Christmas, huh?"

"I haven't been 'doing Christmas' since you met me, hedgehog." Shadow reminded him icily. "And I never will. I would appreciate if you would stop asking me about it."

"Sorry, sorry! Didn't mean to make ya upset." Sonic waved it off before his expression dimmed again. Shadow could tell he was nervous - the way he settled his hand on his own shoulder was a dead giveaway. With how long he'd known the other, Shadow knew his tics. "Um, I know you don't like Christmas, but I was wondering…"

"If you're asking me to sing with the choir again, I told you, the answer is _no._ "

Sonic flushed. "N-no, I was just… would you like to come over to my house tomorrow? Me and a few friends are gonna be getting together for dinner, and I thought you might want to…"

"No."

Sonic deflated, but he didn't seem to have given up just yet. "Aw, c'mon! It's not like it's a Christmas party or anything. Knuckles doesn't even celebrate Christmas. It's just a little winter get-together."

"My answer is _no_ , Sonic the Hedgehog." Shadow growled. "That is final."

Sonic's ears drooped and he adjusted his gaze to the ground, kicking a pebble. "Alright. Well… let me know if you change your mind."

"It won't."

This was how it went every Christmas Eve. Sonic would ask Shadow to come over, to which Shadow would decline. Then they would walk for a bit, with Sonic pretending to not be bothered by Shadow sneering at all the Christmas decorations and Shadow pretending not to bothered by the fact that their hands were brushing as they went.

When they arrived at the office, Sonic would hold open the door and Shadow would pretend he didn't care. Then they would make their way to their respective desks and sit in silence until Sonic said something idiotic and Shadow chastised him. And that was how each day went, unchanging and unremarkable.

As he sat down at his desk, Shadow cleared his mind of Christmas and parties and annoying blue hedgehogs and focused on his work. He was silent as the quill moved over the page, grimacing when a drop accidentally splashed onto his carefully written words.

He sighed and called without turning from the desk, "Another piece of parchment, hedgehog."

"Right away, Mr. Shadow!" came the blue hedgehog's reply, zooming up the stairs with a fresh roll of paper in his hands. Shadow said nothing as he took it from him, smoothing it out over the surface of the desk and preparing to painstakingly rewrite the letter.

"You know, a thank you would be nice, sir." Sonic said, a twinkle of amusement in his eye. "It is Christmas Eve."

There wasn't any chance of getting thanks from his boss. Shadow knew he was just doing it to irritate him.

"I don't care what day it is. Get back to work hedgehog." he snapped.

Sonic didn't move. "I do have a name, sir. It even takes less time to say than my species name." he grinned good-naturedly. "Which you know, is also yours, _hedgehog._ "

That was the last straw. "Refer to me as that again and you'll be called in for work tomorrow on your precious Christmas, _hedgehog._ " Shadow hissed, slamming his hand on the desk.

The light in Sonic's eyes died and he left with a brisk nod. Shadow grumbled and turned back to his paper, trying to ignore the small seed of guilt that had somehow managed to root itself in his chest. He shook it off and began to copy what he had written before onto the new piece of parchment. There was no time to think of such foolish things when there was work to be done.

* * *

Shadow didn't look up from his work once before it was time to head home. Sonic had been strangely silent for the rest of the day, as if he hadn't wanted to provoke the grouchy hedgehog any further. It was odd, but he almost missed the blue hedgehog's chaotic outbursts to some extent. They livened things up around the office. Yet today was devoid of them.

He passed by the assistant as he got up to leave. The blue hedgehog looked more solemn than he had ever seen him. Shadow huffed and slipped on his coat, preparing to head back into the snow. Before he could, however, he heard from behind him:

"Merry Christmas, Mr. Shadow."

It was timid, hesitant, as if he had been debating whether or not he should say it. Shadow felt his shoulders tense up.

He shouldn't have.

"Silence yourself. Do not speak another word, and do not leave the office until that chart is finished." Shadow spat. "Do you understand me?"

Sonic shrunk back and sighed. "Yes sir."

Shadow rolled his eyes and slammed the door shut with a vengeance. He didn't have time for such nonsense. He had a house to get to, a bed to sleep in, and a Christmas day to shut out. 

He walked back home with a brisk pace, trying to get there as fast as possible so he wouldn't have to hear any more carolling than he already had. The singers clearly weren't trained, if his ears were to be trusted. Either that, or they were just bad. Or maybe it was just the fact that they were Christmas carols. In any case, he hated the sound like it was the devil and avoided it like the plague. Well, that wasn't right. He quite liked the devil.

He was thinking too hard about this.

By the time he had snapped out of the carol rabbit hole he found his thoughts venturing down, he had arrived at his front door. But what was-!?

Shadow had definitely eaten something he shouldn't have - a piece of beef, perhaps, an undone potato. Maybe a crumb of cheese, or a blot of mustard. Or perhaps he was just going mad. Anything made more sense than what his mind automatically concluded about what he was seeing in front of him.

Because, according to his eyes, his late father Gerald Robotnik's head had replaced the knocker on his door.

It disappeared in a blink, the normal brass door knocker standing tall, as if nothing else had ever been there at all. Shadow began to feel quite ill. Had it truly just been an illusion?

Shadow shook his head and smoothed out his cloak. He was just tired, that was all. All the more reason to head to bed as soon as possible.

He hung up his coat and tossed aside his cloak, heading up the stairs to his bedroom. Trying to forget what he had seen - what he _thought_ he had seen, he reminded himself. Merely a delusion, brought on by too much work and not enough sleep. That would soon be righted by a good night's rest.

Shadow changed into his nightgown and climbed into bed, trying to drown out all the singing and bells and laughter that came from outside. But before he could drift off, a sound rang out from somewhere in the room. Shadow shot up and glanced around before his eyes rested on an impossible figure.

“Professor…” Shadow couldn’t help the lump that lodged itself in his throat upon seeing the form of his father. The man’s body was blue and transparent, as if he wasn’t really there. But there was no way this was an illusion, for the voice that spoke back couldn’t have belonged to anyone but the late scientist.

“My son… it is so good to see you.” There was a warm familiarity in the way the old man’s face crinkled around his eyes when he smiled. “I wish I could say I was here to catch up.”

Shadow almost said something like ‘I can’t believe it’s you’, or ‘I missed you’, but the only thing he managed to blurt out was, “But you’re dead!”

“Ah. Indeed I am.”

“I saw you die in front of me! How can you be here?” Shadow challenged. “ _Why_ are you here?”

Gerald sighed and looked off into the distance through the bedroom window. “I was always so proud of you Shadow. You were brave and curious in a way I had never seen before.”

“Alas, I am afraid you have gone down the wrong path… your actions are insufferable to those around you, you hate Christmas… you are everything I wished you would not become!”

Shadow reeled from the shock of his father saying such things about him. “Is hating Christmas really that bad?” he said drily.

“Christmas is a time of festivity and laughter. A time of family and friends. And yet you hiss at festivity like a cat who has been splashed, you avoid laughter that isn’t cruel or at someone else's expense.” Gerald did not meet his eyes as he spoke. “When the incident left you without family-”

Shadow winced at the mention.

“-you refused to fill the void with friends who love you, and instead lurk in your house, counting your money and scolding those who are merrier than yourself.” Gerald shook his head. “You are alone, Shadow.”

Shadow stared at him, searching his face for any hint of pity or sympathy, but there was none. He felt himself grow more and more angry. “Is that your purpose? To come here and try and guilt trip me? Well it’s not going to work! I am perfectly happy the way I am right now, so you can head on back to heaven, or whatever.”

“I’m afraid I’m not there.” Gerald said, a sad, pained smile on his face. “My misdeeds while alive have bound me to this world, wandering aimlessly. And the same fate awaits you if you do not listen.”

Shadow paused and looked at him, trying to gauge whether he was telling the truth or not. It seemed he was. He sighed and crossed his arms. “Fine. I shall hear you out.”

“You will be visited by three ghosts tonight. Perhaps they will be able to show you the error of your ways.” Gerald’s mouth was set in a thin line as he tilted his head a bit. “Farewell, my son.”

“Wait!" Shadow called, but just as his fingers reached the sleeve of his father's coat, the ghost vanished into nothing but smoke, leaving an empty room behind. He stared at where the man had been only a moment ago before his trademark frown returned to his face.

"Three ghosts, bah!" he spat, climbing back into bed. "I'll be damned if I'll let anything else disturb my well-deserved rest, no matter how many spirits try."

He laid his head down on his pillow and began to close his eyes, but before they could shut, a quiet voice came from his bedside.

"Sorry to wake you Mister, but I'm afraid I'm here to see you."

Shadow jolted up from the bed and frantically scanned the room for any sign of someone, but no one was there. He felt his quills bristle up with unease as he turned around.

He yelped as he came face-to-face with a figure standing by his bed. It was an echidna girl, very young by the looks of it. She was faded blue, but he could tell that she used to be some shade of orange before her death. The girl wore tribal clothing and had big blue eyes that seemed to peer into his very soul. Shadow stiffened and met her gaze.

"I presume you are one of the three ghosts my father foretold me about?" Shadow asked, raising an eye ridge.

The echidna nodded and curtsied with an air of politeness that was rather jarring, following the harsh treatment that Gerald had given. "I am the Ghost of Christmas Past. But you may call me Tikal."

Shadow huffed. "And I suppose you're hear to show me how Christmas came to be? Because I'll tell you right now, I don't care."

Tikal chuckled lightly and shook her head. "Not _Christmas'_ past, silly! _Your_ past!"

Shadow didn't take to being addressed as 'silly', but whatever. "My past? Whatever for?" he asked.

"You didn't always hate Christmas, did you Mister Shadow?"

Her words cut through Shadow's chest to somewhere deep inside, somewhere he had kept locked up for a long, long time. "...No. No I didn't." he conceded.

"And how did that come to be?" Tikal asked innocently, though her gaze seemed to imply she already knew.

Shadow frowned at her. "I… I don't know."

He knew.

"Come." Tikal offered her hand to the hedgehog, who looked at her incredulously.

"Where are we going?"

"Back."

That wasn't particularly reassuring. Nevertheless, Shadow reluctantly took the girl's hand and was all of the sudden whisked away to somewhere else. He looked around in alarm as the scenery of his quiet bedroom faded away and he was suddenly in a smaller room that looked vaguely familiar. It was mostly barren, but a small wooden bed sat in the corner that made it still feel somewhat cozy. Shadow found himself staring at the quilt on the bed and in an instant he knew where they were.

"This is…" he trailed off, taking in the sight of-

"Your childhood bedroom." Tikal confirmed, letting go of the older mobian's hand. "I'm surprised you recognize it. It's so plain and empty compared to where you live know."

"Of course I recognize it!" Shadow protested. "I grew up in this room! But… spirit, why have you brought me he…"

He stopped as Tikal put a finger to her lips, signalling for him to be quiet. Shadow looked at her in confusion before his ears twitched at a sound from the hallway outside. He turned to the door just in time to get a glimpse of…

Shadow's throat tightened.

_Her._

He watched with a tight chest as a familiar girl with blonde locks burst into the room, along with what looked like a younger version of himself. They looked happy, chattering about something that Shadow didn't hear. He was too busy taking in the sight of the girl he never thought he'd see again.

"Do you recognize her?" Tikal asked.

Shadow swallowed, willing himself to not cry. "Of course. Maria."

"Your sister." 

"Yes."

Even saying her name was hard. He willed himself to watch as his younger self and Maria settled themselves in the corner of the room, beginning to tell stories about something or another. Shadow felt a tear trickle down his cheek. So much for not crying.

"You and Maria were very close, were you not?"

"The closest. We did everything together." Shadow said softly.

"Even though you two were not related by blood, you had a strong bond as siblings. You thought she was the greatest person there was. And in your eyes, your father Gerald Robotnik was the most honorable and smartest man." Tikal said as said man walked into the room, saying something to the young siblings. "Little did you know he was lying and making dirty deals to keep Maria alive. He never let you two see him like that."

Shadow stared at her. How could she say such things so casually? "Is that why he can't move on now? Because of what he did back then?"

Tikal nodded solemnly. "Gerald did some truly awful things. But this is your past, not his. Come once more. Let us see someone else from your past."

Shadow racked his brain as she took his hand again and transported them somewhere else. Who else from his past was important? The only two he really remembered were Maria and Gerald.

They stopped in a large room full of people. The place was decorated for Christmas, with holly wreathes and ribbons strung through the halls. It was clearly a party of some kind, judging from the food and the dancing and the socializing and all those other things one who expect to find at a party. Shadow turned his nose up at it all before spotting the younger version of himself. He was older now, probably about thirteen, dressed in elegant attire that Shadow very, _very_ vaguely remembered his father forcing him to wear.

He glanced around the room for any sign of what could be the reason for their visit. After all, this was just some random party he had attended during his adolescence. What did this have to do with anything?

Then he caught a flash of blue out of the corner of his eye and froze. All at once the memories of that night rushed back to him, still fuzzy and incomplete but there nonetheless. He watched with dread as his younger self followed the figure out the back door and into the clearing that led into the snowy woods. 

And there he stood. The younger Shadow rushed out into the snow to see a younger Sonic sitting on the wooden bench that was powdered with white. Shadow got another lump in his throat as he watched himself sit beside the other young hedgehog.

The two boys didn't say anything, but it wasn't long before the younger Sonic stood up and offered a hand to the younger Shadow. And with that, they began to dance, inexperienced and slightly clumsy, but endearing and elegant nonetheless. Shadow bit his lip as he noticed how… happy he looked.

Eventually the two sat back down, smiling slightly and flushed red from the cold. Shadow didn't overlook the way his younger self kept glancing down at their hands and how close they were. His breath hitched just the slightest bit when it almost seemed like Sonic had leaned in, but then the younger Shadow shot up and ran back into the party, leaving the other sitting in the snow.

"You were in love with him."

It wasn't a question. Tikal looked up at him with those damn blue eyes, not a trace of emotion on her face, as if daring him to contradict her.

Shadow's eyes were glued on the younger Sonic sitting alone in the snow. "...Perhaps I was."

"And you still are." Tikal said.

Shadow tensed and turned to her quickly. "What makes you think that!?"

"You feel guilty when you insult him. Or decrease his salary, or refuse to say thank you. You pretend that you don't like it when your hands brush on the way to work. You wish that you could will yourself to say something, but you never do." Tikal stared him dead in the eyes. "And yet for all that, you treat him like dirt."

"I- that seems a bit extreme!" Shadow protested angrily. "I treat him like I would any other."

"Exactly." Tikal shot back. "Tell me Mister Shadow, when was the last time you were _nice_ to someone?"

Shadow crossed his arms. "Being 'nice' doesn't help anything. I don't see what this has to do with my past."

"It has everything to do with your past!" Tikal shouted. Without another word she snatched his hand and they left the snowy clearing. When Shadow opened his eyes and saw where they were, his heart dropped.

"No… no, spirit, take me somewhere else. Anywhere else." he begged, grabbing her arm desperately. "Anywhere but here."

Tikal didn't even look at him. The ghost simply stared off silently at the scene before them. They were standing in the long hall of the laboratory underneath his father's house. He sensed the tension in the air and braced himself for what he knew was coming; for what was about to unfold haunted him every night in his dreams.

He heard the footsteps of two people coming from down the hall, around the corner. There was a pant of exhaustion that Shadow recognized belonged to him. Then a loud slam came, the sound of a door being swung open. Everything went silent for a brief moment before there was a sickening slash and the bloodcurdling scream of a young girl. The scream rang in his ears as Shadow looked from behind the wall.

The sight of himself hunched over the dying form of his sister, the red staining her blue dress, the figure standing in the doorway holding a bloodstained sword looking shocked at himself; it was too much to bear. He didn't linger to hear Maria's final words. He knew what she said. It was ingrained in his memory, side-by-side with the image of the blade impaling her.

Tikal was waiting for him back around the corner. Her face was emotionless as ever. Shadow felt anger rise up in him, mixing with the resurfacing grief and exploding out.

"I've had enough spirit! Take me from this place!" he commanded.

Surprisingly, Tikal obeyed, and at once they were back in his bedroom, the moon shining through the window and illuminating the dark shadows on the floor.

"Why did you show me this!?" Shadow demanded, baring his teeth.

Tikal stared at him with those blue, blue eyes. "You loved once. You had a wonderful family and the groundwork for a beautiful love. And yet one day changed it all. Now you have no one. You are alone, Shadow."

Her words echoed the ones Gerald had spoken earlier, as if he was with her repeating them. Shadow stared her down, feeling the rage and grief start to die down. Tikal glanced out the window and closed her eyes.

"My time with you has ended." Tikal said, clasping her hands together. "Think wisely on what I have shown you, Mister Shadow."

Before Shadow could reply, she disappeared into thin air. Shadow swore her blue eyes lingered just a second after the rest of her had vanished.

He glanced at his bed, wondering if he should try to get back to sleep. Before he could make a move however, there was a jolly laugh that resonated throughout the room, as if it came from everywhere at once. Shadow stiffened at the arrival of who must be the second ghost.

"Show yourself spirit!" Shadow shouted. "I'm not in the mood for games."

The laughter continued, and suddenly Shadow felt himself be pulled into an embrace by someone beside him. He pushed away and turned to see another ghostly figure, tinted blue like the others, smiling good-naturedly at him. It was a hedgehog like himself, perhaps a few years younger, with short quills and green eyes. She looked to have been pink before death, and wore a poofy red dress decorated with snow and holly.

"Now, now, Shadow, is that any way to act on Christmas Eve?" she asked, a twinkle in her eye.

Shadow glared at her, but the ghost only responded by laughing more.

"You sure are a grumpy one. Though I suppose that is why I'm here." she curtsied, her gloved hands grasping the fabric of her gown. "I am the Ghost of Christmas Present. But there's no need to be so formal! Amy is fine."

She poked his nose with her slim finger, to which Shadow recoiled at. Amy giggled and withdrew her hand. "Alright Shadow, before we head off… where do you think we're going?"

"I presume you're going to show me everyone celebrating Christmas Eve right now?" Shadow suggested drily. "'Present' would imply the current time."

"Hmm, in a way." Amy said vaguely. "It is true that most people are celebrating with their family and friends right now, and I suppose I _could_ show you strangers having fun and singing songs…"

She shook her head. "But that wouldn't help, would it? You don't care about strangers. You don't care about the Christmas spirit. There wouldn't be any point."

Amy winked and took his hand. "But I know someone you do care about!"

Shadow looked at her incredulously. "Poppycock."

Amy just chuckled and pulled him toward the window. Shadow gave her a confused look before she flung open the shutters and stepped out, yanking him along with her. Shadow yelped in alarm before realizing that they weren't falling. They floated in the air, his feet lifted off the ground as he looked down at the snowy streets.

"What the… how?"

"Magic! Obviously." Amy rolled her eyes and tugged on his hand. "Now let's get going! The night won't last forever."

The ghost pulled him along through the winter air, yet Shadow didn't feel the cold at all. Snowflakes floated down from the clouds above but they seemed just to pass right through him, as if he wasn't really there. He gaze down at the people walking through the streets, talking and laughing, completely unaware of them. Amy smiled.

"They can't see you, if that's what you're wondering." she said, flying past him.

Shadow moved towards her, finding himself able to glide in the air like a bird. It felt extremely odd. "So where exactly are we going?" he asked drily.

"You'll see…" Amy replied with a wink.

Shadow wanted a more detailed answer, but he really didn't want to be left behind with no way to get down, so he followed her anyways. The two soared through the night sky, the stars above them twinkling in the snow. They dipped through the streets, the townsfolk paying them no mind. Eventually Amy slowed at a particular house.

It looked small and unremarkable; Shadow certainly didn't recognize it. Why had they stopped here?

Amy seemed to sense his confusion and smiled, beckoning him to follow her in. Shadow jolted in alarm as he watched her phase through the wall of the house, then at the fact that she apparently expected him to do the same. He took a deep breath and flung himself at the wall, finding in relief that he went through it as she did.

Now inside the house, Shadow took in his surroundings. It was even smaller than it looked from the outside, with a long table taking up most of the room. It was made of wood, beaten up and chipped, but still standing. Empty plates lined the edge of it, and there was an armadillo who was setting a platter of green beans down. In the back there was a fireplace, burning warm and bright, although he couldn't feel its heat.

Shadow studied the armadillo as they ran back into the kitchen, but he was sure - he had never seen them before in his life. Amy had said she _wasn't_ going to show him strangers, right? Then why…?

His question was answered as a very familiar face stepped in from the kitchen holding a plate of steaming rolls. Shadow stiffened as Sonic made eye contact with him, but like with everyone else it seemed the blue hedgehog couldn't see him, instead walking over to the table and looking at it curiously.

"Where should I put this bread Mighty?" Sonic called from the main room.

The armadillo (Mighty, Shadow presumed) rushed back in and scanned the table. "Anywhere's fine, just leave room in the middle for the chicken."

"Got it!"

A red echidna that Shadow recognized as Sonic's friend Knuckles came down the stairs, carrying a tiny figure on his shoulders. Upon further inspection, Shadow realized it was Sonic's little brother, Tails, extending his small wooden crutch out as if it were a sword. Sonic turned and laughed at the sight.

"Quite a mighty steed you've gotten yourself little buddy!" Sonic chuckled, leaving the rolls on the table as he approached the two.

"Knuckles said I could sit up here for all of dinner." Tails declared proudly, waving his crutch in the general direction of the table.

Sonic glanced at Knuckles. "Are you sure you want to do that Knux? Tails is kinda a messy eater."

Knuckles simply shrugged.

"Whatever. It's your funeral."

Just then, Mighty reappeared from the kitchen, the fabled chicken on a metal platter in their hands. The other boys made sounds of awe and watched excitedly as the bird was placed on the table. Sonic turned to Mighty.

"That looks incredible Mighty! Where did you learn to cook like that?"

Mighty blushed and waved him off. "Aw, it's nothin'! I'm really not that as good as all that. I only wish we could've gotten a proper goose."

"Nonsense, you're amazing! And we don't need a goose." Sonic interjected, steering the armadillo to a chair. "Now come on, come on, I wanna eat!"

Once everyone was sat down at the table and Sonic raised his glass, signalling for the others to do the same. They followed his direction and listened as the blue hedgehog spoke.

"First, I want to make a toast to Mighty, for whipping up the feast you see before you!" he said cheerfully. Knuckles and Tails gladly echoed the statement, while Mighty just looked a bit shy.

"But I also want to propose a toast to a certain other someone, who doesn't happen to be here with us right now." Sonic said, glancing around the room. "To Shadow the Hedgehog, the Founder of the Feast!"

The others' expressions dimmed in an instant. Mighty sported a neutral frown, while Tails simply looked confused. Knuckles, however, had rage written all over his face.

"Are you serious Sonic!?" he exploded. "Why should we drink to that insufferable a-"

Sonic cut him off before he could say anything unsightly. "Be reasonable Knux."

"I am being reasonable!" Knuckles retorted. "He's the grumpiest, most stuck-up old man I've ever had the displeasure of meeting!"

"And he hates Christmas!" Tails chimed in.

“Now, now.” Sonic attempted to settle them down. “He might be a tad grumpy…”

Knuckles raised an eye ridge.

“Okay, really grumpy. But he is the reason I can even afford to have this feast, and I truly believe he’s got a heart under there somewhere.” Sonic chuckled.

The other boys rolled their eyes but drank their glasses anyways.

Shadow watched on in silence, feeling offended and slightly… shameful? That couldn't be it. He was never ashamed about anything. It had to just be an ounce of pity, that he was feeling, what with seeing such a small and meak Christmas dinner. Yes, that had to be it.

"This was earlier in the night." Amy informed him, glancing over at the other hedgehog. "Right now, the party is over and everyone is heading to bed."

She grabbed Shadow's arm and at once they were upstairs, in a tiny barren room devoid of anything but a small bed. No one else was in the room, but within a few seconds the doorknob turned and Sonic walked in, carrying a sleepy Tails in his arms.

“Alright buddy, let’s get you to bed." Sonic said quietly, laying the small fox onto the bed.

"That was a grand feast, Sonic." Tails mumbled drowsily. "When I'm all grown, I'll invite you and Knux and Mighty to my house and we can eat like this every night."

At the mention of Tails all grown, pain flashed on Sonic's face. He quickly covered it up with a strained smile, but Shadow could clearly tell it was fake. He seemed… resigned.

"That you will, little buddy." the blue hedgehog said, his voice quivering. "That you will."

Tails made a content little noise and at once drifted off to sleep. As soon as the fox fell asleep, the smile disappeared and Sonic put his face in his hands. Shadow couldn't bear to watch anymore.

"Spirit… Tails will live, right?" he asked carefully, willing her to not say what he thought she might.

Amy didn't respond. She merely gave him a solemn glance and slowly, slowly shook her head. Shadow felt his heart stop.

"But he is a mere child!" he shouted. "He hasn't had any time in the world to make a name for himself, or start a family! He hasn't even gotten to live life as a well-abled child! Surely he does not deserve such a fate as cruel as that!"

Amy purposefully kept her gaze locked on the bed, avoiding eye contact with the other hedgehog. Somehow fog began to drift into the tiny room but Shadow did not notice it. He continued to shout things at the ghostly pink hedgehog but she did not hear it. The fog grew thicker and thicker until suddenly they were back in Shadow's own bedroom and Tails was gone.

"I demand you help that child! Surely you cannot just sit by and watch this happen!" Shadow yelled, glaring at her.

When Amy turned back to him, her eyes were cold and pitiless. "And yet isn't that exactly what you've been doing, Shadow the Hedgehog? You have sat here in your house all by yourself with all your riches, while that child withers away in that tiny old home, but at least he is _happy_. You are alone, Shadow."

Her words echoed with the voice of Gerald and Tikal.

Shadow kept his eyes to the ground out of shame. He felt like a little boy again, getting told off by his father. "Did it never occur to you that paying your _subordinate_ a little more might have prevented this!?"

"Prevented what?" Shadow lifted his gaze up to meet hers, but the ghost was gone. In the jolly, festive girl's place was a menacing dark figure, their black hood casting a long shadow over their face. Shadow tried to not be intimidated, but the one in front of him in truth sent a shiver down his spine.

"W-what do you what with me!?" he shouted at the cloaked figure. "I have already been mocked and made a fool of! What more do you want!?"

The figure stared at him (or at least, what seemed like him. Their face was completely obscured.) before drawing a long breath. "Shadow the Hedgehog. You have made great errors in both your past, and your present, as my predecessors have shown you. But I, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, have come to show you what shall happen because of your errors."

The ghost's voice was stern and loud, resounding throughout the room and what felt like the rest of the world. Shadow didn't dare say anything as they removed their hood, revealing a silvery white hedgehog with dark eyes and strange markings. Their eyes bored into Shadow's head. "My name is Silver, but you shall not address me as such, unless you wish a fate worse than death."

Shadow kept his mouth zipped.

"Look behind you, Shadow the Hedgehog."

Gulping, Shadow slowly turned around and had to stifle a gasp as he came face to face with a coffin. The wood was dark and old, and it had an air of death around it. It seemed to match his measurements perfectly.

He didn't dare to ask, but somehow the words made their way from his mouth regardless. "Whose is it?"

Silver simply gave him a cold, dead stare and raised their hand. At once the coffin opened and Shadow felt himself get pulled inside. He tried to shout in protest, but before he could do anything to get out, he found himself at the bottom of a dirt pit that seemed exactly six feet deep. 

At the top appeared Silver, but their eyes were as merciless as ever. Without another word the lid shut and Shadow's world was plunged into darkness. Almost as soon as it happened however, he felt the night air around him and opened his eyes.

He was now on the outside, watching the last bit of dirt cover up the coffin that presumably held his dead body inside. The area for a funeral was set up, with lines of chairs and a podium for a speaker, but there wasn't anyone to be seen but the two hedgehogs.

Shadow turned to Silver to confirm what he was seeing. They nodded and said, "No one came. No one cared that you died, Shadow the Hedgehog."

A few townsfolk passed by the outskirts of the graveyard, noticed the funeral and laughed. "Ol' Shadow finally kicked it!"

"Good riddance I say!"

"In fact, they were glad you were gone. It's not like you did anything good during your lifetime." Silver said, what sounded like a slight taunt in their voice. "No one cared that you died Shadow the Hedgehog, because you are alone."

Their voice shook with the echo of all the spirits before them, of Amy, of Tikal, and of Gerald; all speaking as one.

Shadow stared at where the coffin had been, feeling helpless and insignificant. He noticed the ghost point at one of the headstones, and tentatively approached it. When he saw what was engraved on it, he let out a whimper of sorrow.

The gravestone was marked 'Miles "Tails" Prower'.

Shadow fell to his knees at the overwhelming feeling of seeing both his own unattended funeral and the gravestone of the young child. He let out a sob at the sight before fog covered the graveyard, masking the funeral and the other graves except for Tails'. He stood in alarm and whisked around searching for Silver, but the ghost had seemingly vanished.

"Please!" he cried as the fog started to whirl around him like a hurricane. "Please, I didn't mean for this happen! I didn't know!"

No one answered.

The rushing of the wind was as loud as a battlefield, biting at him and howling like a wolf. The ground felt cold and rugged, stabbing into his legs as he collapsed. Silver was nowhere to be seen, and even Tails' grave had disappeared. He was alone.

He wrought his hands together, as if he were praying to whomever may be there. "Please! Send me back! I have to fix this! I'll raise Sonic's salary, I'll go to the Christmas party, I'll buy them the damn goose they wanted myself, I'll do anything! Just let me go back so I can stop this!"

Shadow shut his eyes and wished with all his might that someone had heard. For a moment he thought his pleading may have fallen on deaf ears, when suddenly the ground beneath him gave way and he fell into the void. When he opened his eyes however, he was back in his bedroom. Silver was gone, and there seemed no sign of any other ghosts come to terrorize him. He checked the clock on the wall - it wasn't a minute after he had first climbed into bed. It was as if nothing had ever happened at all.

But something had happened. Something had absolutely happened, and whether it was because of ghosts or a dream or his own will, one thing was clear: something in Shadow had changed.

He hurried to bed in such a rush it was as if he was running from a beast. After all, there was work to be done tomorrow, and he needed to be well-rested.

* * *

When Shadow awoke, he felt a foreign smile on his face, beaming from ear to ear as he flung open his window and shouted to the whole world, "Merry Christmas!"

He spotted a young rabbit girl walking by on the street and called out to her. "Merry Christmas, little one!"

She looked up at him with wide eyes. "M-merry Christmas yourself, Mister Shadow." she said back with surprise.

"What is your name?" he asked as snow flickered down from the sky.

"My name is Cream, Mister Shadow."

"Well then Cream, I have a task for you." he rushed back into his room momentarily before returning with a bag. "I want you to go buy the biggest, grandest goose they offer at the market, and deliver it to the home of Sonic the Hedgehog and young Tails the Fox. Think you're up to it?"

Cream stared at him and nodded, almost in a daze.

"Good! Now take this!" he threw down the bag, sighing in relief when she caught it with no trouble.

The little girl opened the bag and gasped when she saw the glimmering, golden contents. "Sir, this is much more than what they ask for a goose!"

He waved her off. "Keep the change! It is Christmas, after all."

Cream's eyes grew as big as dinner plates. "R-really!?"

"Of course! Now, run along, run along then." he shooed her from the window. "And tell them it's from Shadow the Hedgehog!"

Cream didn't waste any time, hurrying along the street singing merrily with her coins. Shadow watched her go before popping his head back inside. He changed into his least dreary set of clothes and rushed down the stairs, shuffling on his coat as fast as he could.

"Must hurry, must hurry, so much to do, so much to do!" he murmured to himself as he headed out the door. The snowfall was light and the sunshine was bright, keeping the day a pleasant sort of cold. As he strolled along, he greeted the passersby and wished them a merry Christmas. They looked as surprised as Cream had been, with some even stopping in their tracks and staring. Shadow paid them no mind as he made his way to the marketplace.

He eyed the butcher as he walked; while yes he could have delivered the goose in person, he had a different greeting in mind. He needed to apologize, for one. He had acted so cruel and greedy in the past, and he had to make sure it was clear that he was serious when he said he was attempting to make a change. But what to get to show such a thing…

Shadow browsed the different stands and shops, but nothing really caught his eye until a flash of red and green appeared. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was just the perfect gift.

With a quick exchange of money (and a rather large donation as well), he walked through the snow to the place he had only ever seen in his dreams. As he drew nearer, however, he felt his confidence slowly fade away until he felt like turning back around. But he couldn't. He had to do this.

Drawing a sharp breath, Shadow hid the gift behind his back and knocked lightly on the wooden door. It was only a few moments before he found himself staring at one blue hedgehog in the doorway.

"I hoped I would see you." Sonic said drily, crossing his arms and inspecting the other up and down. "Look, if this is your idea of a joke, then I'll tell you that I don't want your stinkin' goose. alright-"

"It's not."

"What?"

"It's not a joke. And I know I have been so undoubtedly cruel to you in the past, and you have every right to shut this door in my face, but please. Listen to what I have to say for just one moment."

Sonic's expression shifted, but to what Shadow couldn't tell. He uncrossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. After a moment, he said quietly, "I'm listening."

Taking another deep breath, Shadow began. "I have taken advantage of your work ethic for years now. I have reduced your salary to nearly nothing and berated you on every occasion I could. For years I have declined your invitations and forbade your festivities in the office. And I want to say I'm sorry.

"I'm sorry for everything I have done, everything I have said… I have had a change of heart, and although I know I cannot force you to believe me, please understand that when I apologize, I truly mean it."

Sonic stared at him before brushing him off. "You make it sound so dramatic."

"But it was. It hurt you. I know it did, even if you didn't show it. I…" Shadow struggled with his words before admitting ashamedly, "I hurt you back then too."

He saw Sonic's eyes flash with recognition, but he didn't say anything.

"All those years ago, you and I were friends. We danced together at that Christmas party, and I thought that maybe… we had something. That we could be… together."

Shadow drew the gift out from behind his back. It was a magnificent Christmas bouquet, filled with holly berries and pine cones and green pine tree leaves. Golden bells decorated the top, and it was sprinkled with snow from the outdoors.

His words shook as he managed to choke out, "But I left you. I left you and I never spoke to you again until I hired you all that time later. I pretended I didn't recognize you. But I did. I was just too much of a coward to admit it."

"But I am now. And I know it's too late, and I know that you have no obligation to forgive me, but I wanted to at least say that I'm sorry. I am truly, truly sorry." Shadow finished, his eyes slowly rising up to meet the emerald ones of Sonic's.

The blue hedgehog looked shocked. Like he didn't know what to do. Shadow waited, until the other's eyes relaxed and his face turned to a more serious one. His shoulders slumped, bracing himself for rejection.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come-!"

He was cut off as suddenly Sonic pressed his lips to his own, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him close. The snow continued to fall in tiny flakes from the sky, coating Shadow's dark quills with specks of white as Sonic embraced him. The kiss was angry, it was confused, it was relieved, it was joyful - and it was perfect.

* * *

As the bells tolled to signal the hour, on that Christmas day, warmed by the fire… Shadow the Hedgehog sat and pledged to do his best…

"...to find a doctor who can fix your leg better than all the rest." Shadow said gently, patting young Tails' head. The young boy smiled up at him, a far cry from the gravestone that had garishly haunted him the night before. This was a boy who would live.

Just then Mighty came crashing through the door, gasping in shock as they laid their eyes upon the goose on the table. Knuckles walked in after them, his gaze finding its way to Shadow as his shoulders tensed.

"You really weren't kidding, huh?"

And as Mighty got to cooking up the goose, and Knuckles ran in to help them, too… as Sonic sat with Tails in hand, as three ghosts looked on, all of this planned… as people walked and choirs sang, as those holiday bells rang… as the home sat with an air of forgiveness, Shadow the Hedgehog uttered,

"Merry Christmas!"

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! This was a challenge for me, as I usually work without deadlines, but I wanted to try one for a change. And with this coming out a few hours from December 26th, I'd say I basically succeeded.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I loved writing it. Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated! It always feels nice to read what people have to say about my work. Happy Holidays!


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